Tag Archives: Marco Rubio

From the power of care and rapport to the sexy baby voice, what can we learn from the new breed leadership sweeping through business, pop culture, politics and sports? Each of the people on the 20th annual list of Top Ten Best and Worst Communicators of 2015 can teach us a lesson.

Top 10 Best Communicators

Warm, confident and approachable, these accessible leaders inspire us. They serve extraordinary ideas in a way that is easy to digest, understand and take action upon. The best communicators of 2015 connect with likability, humility, confidence and a focus on their audience.

3. Marco Rubio – The Smart, Quick Connector

Marco Rubio is back on our list (from 2012 and 2010), and for good reason. He’s a direct communicator who is strong in emotional connection. In a political climate where he who yells loudest gets the most coverage, Rubio’s warmth and plainspokenness cut through the noise and resonate with voters. He answers in a clear, concise way (here at 1:14), without the rambling or hyperbole that many politicians use. Likability matters — in politics and in business — and he’s got it in spades. The biggest complaint about Rubio is that he drinks a lot of water. He’s acknowledged it as a weakness, and hopefully he doesn’t use it as a crutch. Will his strong communication skills earn him a 2016 Presidential nomination? We’ll be watching to find out.

4. Justin Trudeau – More Person than Politician

Canada’s new Prime Minister has convinced Canadians to care about politics again. He is real, authentic and warm. More person than politician, admitting what he doesn’t know and conveying empathy helped Justin Trudeau outshine his predecessor. In a similar way that Obama’s great communicating in big speeches at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and the “Yes we can” rhetoric of 2008 shifted the political tide in the U.S. toward hope and change, Trudeau has a fresh approach and a magnetism you can’t help but feel. Now that’s darn strong communicating. With a dynamic voice, a vocal punch, lightness in his face and an expression that shows he cares, Trudeau connects with people. We love his forward lean — and we can’t wait to see the impact he brings to Canada and the world scene.

5. Doug McMillon – The New Breed of CEO

Budding leaders, take note: trust is earned not solely from authority but from connection and care. Doug McMillon embodies a new brand of leadership that is intentional about using communication as an opportunity to inspire and connect to the bigger picture. Wal-Mart’s youngest CEO (since founder Sam Walton) doesn’t come across as an efficiency-crazed bottom-line guy. Instead, he communicates care about his employees, his consumers and society. He tackles social issues, like minimum wage and work-life balance, speaking clearly and directly to his audience. McMillon’s emotive facial expressions, raised eyebrows and lightness in his cheeks enable him to come across as warm, humble and approachable. He’s particularly good in interviews (demonstrating the impact of media training), staying calm and focused even when hammered with hostile questions. Our goal is for more CEO’s on the Fortune list to communicate like McMillon.

6. Sal Khan – Conquering the Curse of Knowledge

We might be late to the party with Sal Khan, as he’s been impressive for the last several years. He’s been changing the world and changing the status quo of learning. In short, he makes learning more interactive, accessible and fun. How? His passion and care enrapture his audience. What started as one math video tutorial in 2004 erupted into the Khan Academy, where you can learn almost anything — from chemistry to art history. And he even opened a physical Khan Lab School to explore new best practices for learning. Since he’s a former hedge fund analyst with three Ivy League degrees, you might expect him to use a high-brow vocabulary and esoteric language. Instead, he engages with simple, concrete SHARPs, like this analogy about education being like celebrity clothing. It’s not just the content that packs the “wow” factor. Khan holds the attention of his audience with his energy, passion and vocal variety. He gets people (children and adults, alike) actively engaged and involved, making complexities more simple and easier to understand.

7. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler – The Power of Rapport

Some things are better together, like chocolate and peanut butter or wine and cheese, and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler show the power of rapport. From their early days on Saturday Night Live to recent stints hosting the Golden Globes, what makes this “womance” special is their mutual respect, and their ability to “yes, and…” each other consistently. They stay present, they listen, and they are able to communicate with the right balance of humor. They’re not gratuitous, and they don’t take it too far. They have extraordinarily high emotional connection, with each other and their audience, along with the big smiles and strong body language we expect from such seasoned entertainers. It’s not just entertaining, either. They inspire beyond their comedic talent in organizations like the Worldwide Orphan’s Foundation, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Amy’s Smart Girls.

9. Neil deGrasse Tyson – A Standout, Scientifically Speaking

Only a limited subset of the population would sign up to listen to an astrophysicist speak — unless that scientist is Neil deGrasse Tyson. That’s because he doesn’t just inform us, he entertains and inspires us. This rockstar astrophysicist has made science cool and approachable — due in large part to his communication style. His warmth, incredible vocal variety and enthusiasm immediately connect with viewers. His pauses are purposeful, his gestures add impact, and best of all, he finds a way to make complicated science interesting and easy to understand. We wish all the executives we coach were as passionate and plainspoken! From his late-night talk show interviews with celebrities, to speeches about NASA and black holes, when Neil talks, we get sucked in. Astrophysics pun very much intended.

20th Anniversary Bonus: TheSkimm

There are many ways the spoken word relates to the written word. And that’s why we’re taking this opportunity to recognize our favorite millennial communication trend: TheSkimm. They write like people talk, putting big, complex world and national news into bite-sized, easy to read chunks (and that’s not easy to do). Instead of saying “dismissed,” they’d say, “swiped left,” and it resonates, especially for millennials (no surprise, their target audience). They balance their updates with smart humor that offers a burst of laugh-out-loud relief. Don’t you wish your boss or board spelled everything out so clearly? TheSkimm has created a whole new stream of content that is pithy, witty, direct, simple, concrete and engaging.

Top 10 Worst Communicators

Off-putting, insincere, self-motivated and full of nervous energy, the worst communicators of 2015 missed countless opportunities to win trust and build credibility. Poor communication skills failed this list, reminding us what communication tactics to avoid. Instead, we learn from their shortcomings.

1. Martin Shkreli – What Was He Thinking?

We always say content and behavior have to match for the most effective communicators. Well, for our #1 Worst of 2015 they do match—but both in the wrong direction. Arrogant and smug, Martin Shkreli, CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals AG, landed on a lot of “worst” lists this year, and justifiably so for buying a company and then jacking up the price of a life-saving drug by 5000%. But even more, he tops our list not because of what he did, but because of his defensiveness and condescension in the way that he explained it initially, and then reneged on promises later. As a 32-year-old CEO under fire, he is already at a credibility disadvantage for mature judgment, and Shkreli multiplies it by his arrogance. He doesn’t engender any trust or empathy—something he sorely needs to regain the public’s favor. And how about some sympathy for those that need the drug—Shkreli displays none of it. Moreover, he shows no remorse for actually making people’s lives harder. He slouches, his nose seems to be in the air, his eyes dart and he speaks in a monotone voice. Perhaps the worst behavior of all is his awkward, insincere smile that makes Martin Shkreli one pill that won’t go down easy.

8. Sepp Blatter and The Bad Boys of FIFA – Whatcha Hiding?

There is so much blaming and finger pointing at the scandal ridden FIFA, it’s hard to know what’s happened or whom to blame. What IS clear is that better communication and a willingness to be forthright and open would have served the organization well in 2015. And because style and tone start from the top, we’re pointing a finger at FIFA president Sepp Blatter. His low affect and darty eyes lead us to mistrust him immediately. It doesn’t matter what language you speak or where you’re from, nobody is exempt from the behaviors of trust. Communications are global—something the head of a global organization should know by now.

9. John Koskinen – Disdain and Distrust

The need for trust in the leadership has never been greater, and the highest level of the IRS doesn’t give it to us. John Koskinen is IRS Commissioner, and you wonder how he lasted, much less how he leads. He’s one of our Worst Communicators for several reasons — but overriding all is his haughty and arrogant tone of voice so often paired with a look of disdain and distaste. Examples abound, starting with his first battles in Congressional Hearings last year, continuing throughout 2015 to this day. You would think he would learn with the negative reaction he has received. And content wise, he obfuscates, usually deflecting or defending. Often he stares at his listeners, as if he is making a great communicating connection. He’s not. This is one of the many reasons Koskinen is on our Worst list.

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